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11-12-2011, 10:33 AM | #1 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
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How did Maedhros stay alive?
Assuming that Morgoth both tortured and starved Maedhros (why wouldn't he?), and then hung him on the Thangorodrim for years upon years, how on earth did Maedhros stay alive? I know Elves' bodies are stronger and more resilient than humans', but Maedhros must have been ridiculously (and impossibly) strong to have survived all that.
Thoughts?
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11-12-2011, 10:38 AM | #2 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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Wait...... it was years? I always assumed it was less than a year.... Gotta reread my Sil.
Elves do seem to be able to survive without food for years though, since Thingol did the same when he met Melian. They were standing unmoving in the glade for years on end, while the Teleri were looking for dear lost Elwe.
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera Last edited by Galadriel55; 11-12-2011 at 10:46 AM. |
11-12-2011, 11:12 AM | #3 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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Yes, but stravation+torture would be a little harder.
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11-12-2011, 12:31 PM | #4 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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Well, Maedhros was a bit more dishevelled than Thingol...
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
11-12-2011, 01:02 PM | #5 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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Maedros was held captive by the wrist sometime in Valian Year 1498, and was rescued in Sun Year 5. Assuming that VY 1500 represents a full 9.582 Sun Years (currently the topic of my thread on counting the Sun Years), Maedros was captive in this way for roughly 33.5 years on the high end; or 25 years on the lower end -- here using 9.5 to simplify, and for the low end counting only one Solar Year within 1498, which I admit is arbitrary.
Unless my math is wrong, or if we should not count 9.582 Solar Years for VY 1500 According to the Annals (Annals of Aman and Grey Annals) and the Tale of Years, the last Valian Year entry is year 1500, and then we have a new reckoning with Sun Year 1. Anyway, the Eldar normally need to eat so I assume Morgoth gave him just enough, or did something to keep him alive. Last edited by Galin; 11-12-2011 at 01:22 PM. |
11-12-2011, 01:17 PM | #6 | |
Blossom of Dwimordene
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I wonder if he also fed Hurin. Even if he did, I doubt Hurin would accept. So how did he stay alive?
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11-15-2011, 01:00 PM | #7 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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Well, Beleg seemed to be in a pretty miserable state after only a few days of being tied to a tree - and no doubt Beleg matched or even outmatched Maedhros' physical strength. After all, he was not called Cúthalion for nothing.
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11-15-2011, 02:10 PM | #8 |
Wight of the Old Forest
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But keep in mind that Beleg was a Sinda and had never been to Aman, whereas Maedhros had just returned from the Undying Lands- I think that makes a difference, not necessarily in terms of pure physique, but in terms of the "inner fire" (for lack of a better word).
Connected with this, I think, is another aspect which has been overlooked so far, namely that the Elves are not made (we might say, not designed) to die; they can be killed by irreparable damage to some vital organ, but barring that their fëa will keep the hröa alive in whatever pitiable state even under deprivation and torture, as long as their will is strong enough (which I think we can assume it was in Maedhros' case).
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11-15-2011, 04:54 PM | #9 | |||
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11-15-2011, 05:18 PM | #10 |
Woman of Secret Shadow
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Wouldn't it have been funny if Morgoth had succeeded in turning Maedhros into an orc?
What I find intriguing is why he asked Fingon to kill him when he could just have given up on his life himself long before Fingon came.
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11-15-2011, 07:45 PM | #11 | ||
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